Undergraduate - CourseBachelor of Health Science and Bachelor of Social Work (with Honours)

This honours course allows students who are enrolled in 3870 Bachelor of Health Science and Bachelor of Social Work to undertake social work honours in the fourth year of the double degree. Entry to honours is by invitation to students who have achieved grades of at least distinction level in third year social work units.

The course aims to develop skills necessary for research by studying the methodological, theoretical and ethical issues that underpin social work research. Students are provided with the same learning and practice opportunities as students in the pass degree, however, the honours program also aims to reward academic excellence. Students in the honours program are expected to develop and complete a research project which will include a critical literature review, ethics approval where indicated and a 10,000-12,000 word thesis.

Refer to the outcomes for the two single degrees 3882 Bachelor of Health Science and 3864 Bachelor of Social Work (with Honours).

Credit will be granted for units successfully completed in the first three years of 3870 Bachelor of Health Science and Bachelor of Social Work.

Entry to honours is by invitation to students in 3870 Bachelor of Health Science and Bachelor of Social Work who have achieved high grades in third year social work units.

Special requirements

Students must refer to the information available on the special requirements outlined below. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they have the correct documentation.

Police checks

Students must have a current Police check regarding their suitability to undertake placements. Refer to the faculty's police checkspolice checks (http://www.med.monash.edu.au/current/police-checks.html) webpage.

Working with Children checks

Students must have a current Working with Children check regarding their suitability to undertake placements. Refer to the faculty's Working with Children checksWorking with Children checks (http://www.med.monash.edu.au/current/wwc-check.html) webpage.

Immunisation and infection requirements

In accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations, this course requires that students comply with the faculty's Immunisation and vaccination policy and proceduresImmunisation and vaccination policy and procedures (http://www.med.monash.edu.au/current/immunisation/). These are designed to provide maximum protection against the increased risk of some vaccine preventable diseases for students, patients and workers in a health care setting.

This policy, and the associated procedures require that students have certain specified vaccinations, and have their blood borne virus status determined, before they commence a clinical placement. Students who have not complied with this policy may not be able to undertake clinical placement, with the attendant academic consequences.

Prospective students are provided detailed information on the effect of blood borne virus infection on the scope of practice of health care workers. Students who test positive to a blood borne virus (including HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C) will be required to consult a specialist medical practitioner approved by the faculty to provide advice on any necessary restrictions on work practices to protect patients and others from infection.

Fieldwork practice units

This course requires students to undertake off-campus fieldwork placements. In the fieldwork setting students will have an opportunity to apply theory to practice under supervision. Attendance is mandatory for the fieldwork component of each unit.

Where a student's skill or knowledge is found to be inadequate, access to the fieldwork component of the unit will be denied. A student may be withdrawn from a fieldwork practicum if required skills and knowledge are deemed inadequate, or on other grounds deemed appropriate by the head of school.

Fieldwork expenses

Students are responsible for all travel and accommodation expenses during fieldwork placements.

This course is accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers.

This course consists of compulsory social work units in addition to the required number and sequence of health science units. Students undertake the core social work honours units in the final year.

First year

Semester one

• HSC1061 Data, evidence and critical thinking in health
• HSC1101 Biological basis of health and disease 1
• PSY1011 Psychology 1A
• SWK1011 Introduction to human services practice

Semester two

• HSC1052 Health and social care systems and policy
• HSC1081 Foundations of public health
• HSC1102 Biological basis of health and disease 2
• HSC1112 Global health: Opportunities and challenges

Second year

Semester one

• HSC2062 Communicating health
• HSC2101 Health promotion: Global and local
• SWK3220 Social work in a globalised world
• SWK3230 Social work research

Semester two

• HSC2022 Culture, society and health
• HSC2051 Health program planning
• HSC2141 Analysing patterns of health and disease
• HSC3002 Health for all in a global world

Third Year

Semester one

• HSC3011 Contemporary health challenges
• HSC3041 Disease prevention and control
• SWK3400 Critical social work 1 - Individual and Families: Context and practice

Semester two

• SWK3180 Supervised professional practice 1
• SWK3410 Critical social work 2: Community work, context and practice
• SWK3440 Leadership in social work and human services

Fourth year

Semester one

• SWK4001 Honours research methods
• SWK4030 Human rights, law and ethics contexts for social work practice
• SWK4032 Working with complexity: Honours
• SWK4400 Critical social work 3 - Group work and community engagement: Context and practice
• SWK4451 Social policy and social justice: Honours

Semester two

• SWK4002 Honours project seminar
• SWK4003 Honours dissertation
• SWK4401 Critical social work 4 - Individual, health and society: Context and practice
• SWK4560 Supervised professional practice 2

• Health science
• Social work

Bachelor of Health Science
Bachelor of Social Work (with Honours)